摆手祭:土家族社会结构的象征表达——土家族象征文化研究之一

Memorial Ceremony of Waving Hands-Symbol of Social Structure of Tujia Nationality——One of Series Papers about Tujia Symbolic Culture

本文从象征人类学的“社会结构”范式出发,对土家族摆手祭进行了新的阐释,认为土家族摆手祭正是土家族社会结构,特别是土家族三元社会结构及其整合的象征表达。摆手祭的三神分别象征着权力、勇猛和财富,三者进而引伸为统治者、士兵和农民三元社会结构;摆手祭仪是土家族社会身份认同与社区结构的仪式化象征表达;摆手变迁实是从性隐喻到政治隐喻的演变过程。

Based on the pattern of 'social structure', this paper makes a new explanations of Tujia nationality's memorial ceremony of waving hands. It is pointed out that this ceremony is the symbolic expression of Tujia social structure, that the three gods of it represent power, braveness and wealth respectively and that the three elements are changed into the ruler, the soldier and the farmer-the three-element social structure. The memorial ceremony of waving hands is the identification of Tujia social identity and the change of waving hands means that from sexual to political metaphor.